With the release of the Spring 2017 ISTEP+ results, Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation now ranks in the state’s top 4% of public school districts.

Based on both Math and ELA pass results of grades 3-8, P-H-M ranks 12th out of all 292 public school districts in Indiana. For grade 10, P-H-M ranks 9th out of all 292 public school corporations—the Michiana area’s only public school district to make the top 20!

P-H-M’s overall district pass rate for grades 3-8 was 70.8%, compared to Brownsburg Community School Corp. who received the highest overall pass rate of 83.1%. Penn-Harris-Madison’s pass rate for grade 10 was 59.9%, compared to Carmel Clay Schools 68.3%

“When you compare P-H-M to the state’s other top performing school districts, you can see the level of excellence that our students and teachers are achieving in the classrooms,” said P-H-M Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker commenting on yesterday afternoon’s (Wednesday, September 6, 2017) testing results release by the Indiana Department of Education. “P-H-M has been able to achieve high performing test results not just by teaching the academic standards, but by empowering our teachers with ongoing professional development, equipping them with technology providing timely and efficient student assessment, while also growing our students’ academic stamina with rigor and relevant preparatory tools.”

Based on the 2017 Spring ISTEP+ results, Elm Road ranks in the top 19% of all 1,437 Indiana public schools.

As part of Penn-Harris-Madison’s own self-district assessment, P-H-M administration reviewed the 2017 ISTEP+ results information from across the state and also notes these examples of P-H-M Excellence:
 

• Northpoint is Indiana’s #1 public elementary school!
• Discovery ranks #3 out of the state’s 205 public middle schools.
• P-H-M has four schools (Northpoint, Prairie Vista and Horizon Elementary Schools, along with Discovery Middle School) ranked among the state’s top 50 of all 1,437 public schools.
• P-H-M ranks 4th among public school corporations with large high schools (student population more than 500).
   

After analyzing the data, Dr. Thacker also noted “I am extremely proud of what our students and teachers have been able to achieve. It is with the parent and community support that they receive that P-H-M is able to achieve academic excellence at all levels. I look forward to using the data from 2017 ISTEP to build on and improve for this coming 2018 spring testing.”

More than 10,000 Penn-Harris-Madison students in grades 1-12 headed back to school today (Wednesday, August 23, 2017) with tons of excitement for another year of #PHMExcellence!

Here’s a snapshot of the First Day from across the District … (be sure to click to view the photo gallery at the end of this story)

Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker and new Penn High School Principal Sean Galiher got an early start to the day doing live interviews on the early morning news programs of South Bend’s three television stations, starting at 5:00 a.m.!  With student enrollment up this year to about 10,800 students, Dr. Thacker talked with excitement about the new school year. With P-H-M’s successful 1:1 Technology Initiative for all students in the District, P-H-M is in a great position to empower teachers with new technology and software that will help them utilize student formative assessment data more efficiently, which will help create a more personalized path unique for each student. Dr. Thacker also talked about how the District has recently created teacher leadership teams in all 11 elementary schools to increase leadership capacity and promote a renewed focus on high quality instructional practices. Principal Galiher talked to the news stations about Penn High School’s 97% graduation rate, with 45% of Penn students graduating with Honors and 51% graduate with a Core 40 degree.
 

Over at P-H-M Transportation Headquarters, approximately 139 buses started rolling out about 7:00 a.m. to pick up and transport students across the District to our 15 schools (11 elementary and three middle schools, and Penn High School).

For the first three days of school, Dr. Thacker visits all 15 schools! After leaving Penn High School this morning, his first stop was Madison Elementary to speak to students during their school assembly. All the students got a kick out of hearing about Dr. Thacker’s teaching days at Madison. P-H-M Board Members Jim Garrett and Larry Beehler (a Madison student alum) joined Dr. Thacker for his school visits this morning. Kevin McMillen’s enthusiasm, Madison’s new principal, for the new year was contagious. Students were so glad to be back at school they were hugging their teachers.

Over at Horizon Elementary, Principal Tressa Decker enlisted the help of parent volunteers to join Horizon teachers and staff to give students a “Heroes Welcome.” When students arrived at school, they were greeted by parents dressed in their work uniforms and were given "Be The Hero" medal. The goal … to inspire students to be the heroes we know they can be. 

Grissom and Schmucker Middle Schools also have new principals this year. Jean Milfort and Lavon Dean-Null were there to welcome sixth through eighth graders as they exited the buses. The hallways were a flurry of activity, but Mr. Milfort managed to spot and meet Grissom’s female football player linebacker and tight end, whose looking forward to a great year of proving herself to all the naysayers! Dr. Thacker and the Board members showed up later to say hello as part of their District tour. At Schmucker, Mrs. Dean-Null was busy helping students find their way to lockers, classes and at times played the role of “traffic cop!”

Horizon students weren’t the only ones to get a surprise when they arrived at school today. Back at Penn High School, Early College Academy staff dressed in caps and gowns to welcome the Early College Academy senior Class of 2018. This spring the students will be Penn’s first graduating co-hort of the Early College Academy—graduating with both high school diplomas and college associate degrees! Quite an accomplishment and something to look forward to!

Thursday, August 24 is the first day back for kindergartners in P-H-M’s 11 elementary schools.

It’s going to be another amazing year of academic excellence in Penn-Haris0n-Madison this year! Be sure to follow #PHMExcellence to see all the amazing pictures, videos and stories throughout the year!

This morning Penn-Harris-Madison Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker welcomed back nearly 1,500 teachers, administrators and classified support staff during the annual Kickoff Breakfast (click here to see the photo gallery below). As part of building excitement for the new school year, Dr. Thacker always takes time to praise staff and student achievements from the past year. Some of the many EXCELLENT accomplishments of P-H-M teachers, students and staff were highlighted in a video shown to staff. Dr. Thacker encouraged staff to share the great stories taking place across the District this coming year on social media using #PHMExcellence.

As part of the Kickoff Breakfast, a motivational speaker and leader in education is invited to come in and speak to P-H-M teachers. This year Dr. Joe Sanfelippo, superintendent of Fall Creek School District in Fall Cree, Wisconsin spoke to P-H-M instructional staff about “Brining School stories to the World” and telling P-H-M’s story. Dr. Sanfelippo was named an Innovative District in 2016 and 2017 by the International Center for Leadership in Education and is the author of “Hacking Leadership: 10 Ways that Great Leaders Inspire Learning that Teachers, Students, and Parents Love.” Dr. Sanfelippo is innovative school administrator who has built strong relationships with his district’s students, families and employees through engaging social media stories. Today he also encouraged P-H-M teachers to do the same and be EXCELLENT storytellers and to share the EXCELLENT things taking place every day within P-H-M’s 15 schools, telling them “You are teachers! You move people!!!”

P-H-M is an “A” rated school district and in the state’s Top 3 of public school districts with nine Four Star Schools. Excellence happens here!  Our teachers and students do amazing things every day.  Throughout this year, the community and our families will start seeing more and more of these stories. Look for and use #PHMExcellence on social media and click here for #PHMExcellence feed to catch up and see what you might have missed. 

Next Wednesday, Aug. 23 is the first day for grades 1-12 (Thursday, August 24th for Kindergarten), but today Penn-Harris-Madison’s newest teachers had their first day of school!

It was a busy New Teacher Orientation Day for this group of creative, talented and energetic teachers. This year P-H-M hired 41 new elementary, middle and high school teachers, as well Exceptional Education professional staff.

These newest teachers joined the ranks of one of Indiana’s highest ranked public school districts. As an “A” rated school and Four Star School District, 100% of our teachers are rated “Highly Effective” or “Effective.” Ongoing professional development supports and empowers our teachers to then in turn provide an excellent education to our students!

Browse the new faces you’ll be seeing throughout the 2017-18 school year!

Group 1: Elementary

Group 2: Middle School

Group 3: Penn High School

The beginning of the 2017-2018 school year is just around the corner. Please remember the Indiana State Department of Health requires parents/guardians to provide their child’s full immunization record to the student’s school health office on or before the first day of school, August 23, 2017.  Click here for details on Kindergarten immunization requirements. 

See the list below for important Elm Road dates and events to get the year started:

• August 7 – Office Opens
• August 23 – First Day of School (Grades 1-12); Kindergarten Orientation, 8:45 am
• August 24 – First Day for Kindergarten
• August 28 – Family Picnic, 6-7:30 pm
• August 29 – 1^st Grade Parent Information Night, 5:30 p.m.; 3^rd Grade Parent Informational Night,  6:30 pm
• August 30 – Dibels Testing (Grades K and 1) 8/30-9/27
• August 31 –  2^nd Grade Parent Information Night, 5:30 p.m.; 4^th  Grade Parent Information Night, 6:30 pm
• September 4 – Labor Day (No School)
• September 5 – 5^th Grade Parent Information Night, 5:30 p.m.
• September 6 – Picture Day
• September 11 – PTO Meeting, 2:30 p.m.

Click here to see the 2017-18 P-H-M District Calendar of Events.

The weather couldn’t have been better on Wednesday morning (May 10) for Penn Biology teacher John Gensic (2016 Teacher of the Year) and his nearly 100 Early College Biology students.

Gensic and his students departed on buses headed for Horizon, Elsie Rogers and Mary Frank Schools to plant dwarf fruit trees with the help of an estimated 324 elementary students. Today was the final step of the Phase 1 planting phase which began in the spring of 2016 at Horizon Elementary.

The “Giving Trees” project was the brainchild of Gensic, P-H-M’s 2016 Teacher of the Year and top 10 finalist for Indiana TOY. The project was made possible by a 2016 grant from the P-H-M Education Foundation . Funding this year was a combination of grant money, Gensic’s P-H-M TOY grant money from the Education Foundation, and a donation made by Springhope Farm.

The idea behind the project is for students to participate in a real world event that not only focuses on improving the local environment, but also provides food for the Penn-Harris-Madison school community. It is Gensic’s hope that all the students involved in the project, elementary and high school, will be inspired to become agents of change leading the charge for a healthy environment and community.

The “Giving Trees” project is a four-phase plan with Phase 1 completed on the final planting day on May 15 at Elm Road Elementary. Phases 2, 3 and 4 will be the harvesting of the fruit for use in P-H-M’s schools; and if all goes well, Gensic also hopes to provide fruit for the local community.

When all the planting is done, there will be a total of 64 fruit trees planted between Horizon, Mary Frank, Elsie Rogers and Elm Road. Out of the 64 trees, 40 are apple and 24 are pear trees.

Academically, this project will have the high school students focusing on Indiana Biology Standards 2 (matter cycles and energy transfer) and Biology Standard 3 (interdependence). The elementary students will also focus on Indiana Science and Language Arts Standards as a way to reinforce this great experience.

Please check out the pictures below taken at Elsie Rogers Elementary.

The Penn-Harris-Madison Education Foundation recently announced the recipients of the Spring 2017 grants—with grants totaling $16,640!

Traditional Grant Recipients

Kelso’s Kit: Tools for Kids – Horizon Elementary – Joann Hartline’ Grade K-5  —  300 students; Awarded: $636.73
Kelso’s Kit includes 23 comprehensive lessons that help children make good choices and solve conflicts on their own. The kit will give classroom teachers and/or college practicum students additional tools needed to help students with their everyday life difficulties.

iPod Touches for Walt Disney’s A/V Team

iPod Touches for Walt Disney’s A/V Team – Walt Disney Elementary – Robi Davidson, Emily Beeden; Grades K-4  —  510 students
Awarded: $597
The purchase of the iPods (3) will allow the AV team to record live broadcasts and to connect to other forms of media. In addition, the iPods will allow the team to explore new technologies such as music recording, computer coding, app review, and more extensive photo and video editing.

Wiggling Our Way to Success – Mary Frank Elementary – Lindsay Helman; Grades 3  —  40 students; Awarded: $1,432.34
Alternative seating at Mary Frank will support students who have difficulty focusing. In addition, these seats provide health benefits that include increased metabolism, motivation and engagement, creating better oxygen flow to the brain, and improve core strength.

Strumming Our Way To Musical Success – Horizon Elementary – Jon West and Jeannie Chettleburgh; Grades K-5 — 650 students
Awarded: $1,170
Recently, due to the increase use by pop performers, the Ukulele has quickly risen in popularity. The creates a phenomenon whereby students are expressing a desire to learn to play chords and sing with the Ukulele. The teachers intend to use this natural interest to continue to each the Indiana Music Standards using Ukuleles.

The Walking Classroom – Moran Elementary – Louise Black; Grades 5 — 80-90 students
Awarded: $3,950
Student learning is not limited to sitting in the classroom. This program would allow for a class to walk around/throughout the hallways while listening to pod-casts lessons. Each student audio device is preloaded with 111 pod-casts that are aligned with the 5th grade Common Core curriculum covering language arts, social studies, and health topics.

Documenting Bat Activity in an Urban Habitat – Elm Road School – Jackie Anderson; Grade K-5 —  520 students
Awarded: $323.61
From a school’s FIRST Lego League team, this bat house is located on the edges of the school ground. A remote camera, with infrared lighting, will allow students to observe the natural patterns of bats.

Penn Orchestra – Barrage 8 –  Penn High – Ann Tschetter (P-H-M’s 2017 Teacher of the Year); Grades 9-12 —  20 students
Awarded: $450
Earlier in the year, Penn High School hosted an international string group – Barrage 8 – whose focus is to introduce student to the new eclectic and contemporary side of being a string performer. Furthermore, Penn currently houses contemporary music performing groups in band and choir, but not orchestra. This inspired the teacher to create a before or after-school group where students would take their classical training to a “show” format. Students will learn a wide variety of popular, ethnic jazz, and show tunes. The grant will support purchasing 5 musical instruments for students to perform.

Cafetorium Acoustic Development – Grissom Middle – Heather Baker; Grades 6-8 —  600 students
Awarded: $5,181.39
The school’s cafetorium is used for numerous events throughout the school year, including meetings and conferences. The current sound situation involves outdated technology and bare walls to enable a massive amount of reverb and echo. A new system would increase the quality for musical performances, student news programs, athletic events, and student body assemblies.

Serving Students with Calming Sensory Tools – Elm Road – Audrey Kim; Grades K-5 —  520 students
Awarded: $800
As an educational assistant, the teacher has helped students with anger and behavior issues using sensory tools. Students have enjoyed using manipulative tools to help them calm down. Creating boxes that are readily available for students to help channel their frustrations in appropriate ways.

EZ grant recipients ($250 or less)
 

• Occupational Therapy Materials: Mary Frank Elementary – Tess Weaver; Grade PreK-8; Awarded: $246.67
• Book Clubs in the Classroom – Not Just for Adults; Prairie Vista Elementary – Karen Hlade; Grade 5; Awarded: $244.43
• Electronics Components for Updated Physics Curriculum; Penn High School; Jonathan Lockwood; Grades 11-12; Awarded: $225
• Aquaponics Experiments to Promote a Sustainable Food Future; Penn High School – John Gensic; Grades 9-12; Awarded: $247.99
• It’s All About the Bass Bow; Discovery/P-H-M Middle School Orchestras – April Oppenheim; Grade 6-8; Awarded: $234
• Bike to Build Muscles! Walt Disney Elementary – Kathy Greve; Grades K; Awarded: $250
• Take a Stand; Discovery Middle – Murray Weaver; Grades 6-8; Awarded: $250
• Pay Attention! Elsie Rogers Elementary – Stefanie Hanks; Grade K-5; Awarded: $245
• Table Top Easels; Penn PALS/Elsie Rogers Preschool – Alison Minegar; Grades Preschool; Awarded $250

As a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1996, the PHMEF develops alternative sources of income to support learning while strengthening the partnership between schools and community.

Since the Foundation’s inception, more than $520,000 have been distributed in innovative teaching grants supporting P-H-M teachers, staff, and students. Click here to see the grants awarded Fall 2016. The Grants Committee is comprised of Foundation board members, community representatives, and a P-H-M administrator who evaluate each grant application.

Dedicated business leaders, administrators, and community volunteers, representing a cross-section of the school community, serve as the board of directors. PHMEF supports education through awarding innovative teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

PHMEF’s funding comes from special events such as its premier Silver Mile Health & Fitness Fair, Donna & Dr. Jerry Thacker 5K Run/Walk for Education, the State of Indiana from the purchase of Read On Education License plates, Corporations for Education, Thank a Teacher, Entrance to Excellence bricks, and individual donations.

The Silver Mile was held this past weekend (Saturday, May 6).  The first place overall male race winner was Colton Shail, Junior track and cross country runner at Penn High School, with a time of 16:29.9. First place overall female was Erin Moore, 13-year-old Niles student, with a time of 20:07.6.

Meadow's Edge Elementary earned the top participation P-H-M school prize and will receive a $5,000 grant to be used for a fitness/health program.

Coming in at second place was Northpoint Elementary. They will receive a $1,000 grants. The school with the third most student participation was Madison, and they will receive a $500 grant.

Overall there were 500 participants in this year’s race.

This year’s Health and Fitness Fair was a huge success featuring health screenings by Saint Joseph Mishawaka Medical Center.

Healthy post-race snacks were provided by Whole Foods Market. Urban Swirl also helped runners cool off with frozen yogurt cups.

Penn Robotics Team 135 setup robot test drives so that younger children could learn to drive robots. And the Kingsmen Cheerleaders lent their face painting talents to make some prettier faces even prettier!  Click here to see a full gallery of pictures.

“Running is Elementary” took place on Monday, May 1 for the 9th consecutive year! Almost 700 students from all 11 P-H-M elementary schools participated in the 1 mile run on the Penn cross-country course located behind Elm Road School.

Although the weather was windy, cold and rainy, the runners’ spirits were high and full of excitement as family, teachers, staff and friends cheered them on.

Each year fourth and fifth graders are encouraged to sign up for the free running club. Designated coaches at each school are then tasked with training the runners for the 6-week club which then culminates with the Running is Elementary Race.

Cindy Batalis (P-H-M’s 2009 Teacher of the Year and physical education teacher at Horizon Elementary) began the yearly tradition of Running Is Elementary in 2008. Batalis’ own love for running and her desire to pass that love on to students is evident in the passion she puts into the Running is Elementary event each year.

The top times for the 2017 Running Is Elementary Race were as follows:

• 5th Grade Girls 

     1. Bib 87- 6:14     Elm Road
     2. Bib 478- 6:16   Moran
     3. Bib 159- 6:26   Elsie Rogers

• 5th Grade Boys

     1. Bib 612- 6:26   Prairie Vista
     2. Bib 658- 6:35   Walt Disney
     3. Bib 23- 6:39     Bittersweet

• 4th Grade Girls

     1. Bib 293- 7:15   Horizon
     2. Bib 48- 7:21     Bittersweet
     3. Bib 550- 7:24   Northpoint

• 4th Grade Boys

     1. Bib 144- 6:26   Elm Road
     2. Bib 141- 6:37   Elm Road
     3. Bib 578- 6:46   Northpoint

Congratulations to all runners for their great spirit and effort!

A big thank you to the P-H-M Education Foundation and Corporations for Education for hosting the event!

Sponsors for the 2017 event:

Presenting sponsor – Corporations for Education

Royal Excursion, the Hunter Family, and Team Pride Athletics

After Race Snack & Water Donations:

Urban Swirl, B&B Organics & Fleet Feet

​        

Follow Dr. Thacker’s lead and get a jump start on the Give Local St. Joseph County May 9 day-long online giving event NOW!

Starting today, Monday, May 1 you can schedule your gift in advance for the P-H-M Education Foundation. When the 24-hour giving event kicks off on May 9, your gift will already be in ahead of the game!  

Penn-Harris-Madison School Superintendent Dr. Jerry Thacker made his #GiveLocalSJC donation May 1 designating the P-H-M Education Foundation. 

Make an online donation of $25 or more designating the P-H-M Education Foundation

as part of #GiveLocalSJC campaign and

• 75% of your gift to P-H-M Education Foundation will be paid out to help the Foundation now;
• 25%—plus generous matching funds—will   go into the Foundation’s Endowment Fund to generate annual earnings that will help from now on!
   

Every dollar donated on May 9 to any of the 67 charities participating in Give Local St. Joseph County will be increased by a share of $2.4 million in matching funds provided by generous sponsors.

So this is your opportunity to maximize your donation to the Education Foundation. 

DONATE NOW!

It’s the gift that continues to give!

The Education Foundation supports value add educational programs across the P-H-M school district by awarding innovative teaching grants, scholarships to students, staff development and other corporation-wide initiatives.

Online gifts may be made by clicking here May 9, 2017, starting at 12:01 a.m. and for the next 24 hours, using your credit or debit card. You can also schedule your online gift in advance, any time after the preview period begins on May 1, 2017. If you use a credit or debit card, your card will not be charged until May 9.

If you wish to send a check, please mail it early to ensure receipt by May 9, 2017. Checks are to be made out to the Community Foundation (P.O. Box 837, South Bend, IN, 46624) and dated May 9, 2017, make sure to include “P-H-M Education Foundation” in the memo field. Donations are 100% tax deductible.